The work of photographer Christopher Michel charts some of the most extreme locations on earth, from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of the polar regions. He speaks to ALHAUS about his recent journey to the fjords of Greenland and his endless quest to capture the photo of his professional lifetime.

I love the photographic life. It has given me a platform to explore the most remote places on the planet, meet my heroes, create art every day, and, hopefully, make a difference in people’s lives. Every morning, I wake up, grab my camera and set out to create the best photo of my life. I know, deep down, it can happen anytime.

Last year I had the opportunity to set sail aboard one of the most beautiful expedition sailboats in the world, the Arktika. This Dutch-built sailing vessel is built for extreme exploring—and that’s just what she does, under the command of her Icelandic skipper, Sigurdur ‘Siggi’ Jonsson. Siggi is the real deal—a hardcore sailor and adventurer, he uses both of his sailing boats (Arktika and Aurora) to take people to some of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth.  

In September of 2018, I met Siggi and the crew in Kulususk, East Greenland and we set off for the remote South Eastern coast of Greenland. Each day we’d explore rarely seen fjords, anchoring to visit abandoned settlements and forgotten shores. We were literally walking in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen. 

Growing up, I’d always thought of Greenland as a solid ice sheet. The reality is far from that: the coastline of Greenland is lush and beautiful. Peaceful streams and aquamarine lakes await just beyond the shore, filled with some of the tastiest fish I’ve ever sampled.

Fundamentally, I’m an environmental portrait photographer, I’m keen to capture humans at the extremes.  So, it’s no surprise that for me the highlight of the trip was making portraits of our intrepid Captain ‘Siggi’ as he navigated Arktika though incredibly difficult environments. I’ll never forget him ‘threading the needle’ between an iceberg and a rock cliff—you could basically touch each from the deck of the ship. Siggi didn’t even blink: it wasn’t a big deal to him, that’s why he’s one of the most sought-after captains in the world.  

My objective with photography is to create images of people that matter—to them, and hopefully, to the world. A portrait is a collaboration between the photographer and subject and, done right, can be a gift of tremendous value to both. Memories are the currency of our lives and each frame matters. Photographs preserve memories otherwise lost to time and my obsession is capturing these precious moments.

Every day, I photograph people I’ve just met.  My objective with every interaction (in photography and life) is to make every person I meet feel valued and I think that has made all the difference in my portraits. When I go to work I bring a smile. Everyone you meet is cueing off of you—so if you seem approachable, kind and trustworthy, people relax and can be their authentic selves. 

CHRISTOPHER MICHEL
Christopher Michel is an accomplished American photojournalist, with collections that span extreme locations like the North and South Poles, Everest, Papua New Guinea, DR Congo and the very edge of space. His work has been featured in National Geographic, the Smithsonian, the New York Times, the BBC, Outside Magazine, and others.

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